Something tells me that I should have stuck with these monthly letters…it’s going to take a while to sum up what has happened in the past THREE months. I can’t believe that my little girl is a year and a half already. Wow! (more…)
Gabe and I had come to several conclusions about co-sleeping, night nursing, and sleep in general. We felt like night weaning was necessary, but we didn’t want to make any changes before our cruise in May. We decided to take on the challenge during the first free weekend that we had after the cruise.
After several weeks of the new routine, things are looking quite promising. If you’re a regular reader, you should be well aware that Maddie is not the best sleeper. Up until recently, I have pretty much posted as a separate post each time that she has slept more than 6 hours in the past year! Let’s just say that these posts have in no way cluttered up the blog.
The first week of night weaning was rough. I had done quite a bit of reading on the subject, and one of the suggestions is to remove Mommy from the nighttime equation. Dr. Sears was one who makes this recommendation. So, I slept on the couch for that first week (and maybe almost one more week after that).
The first night involved quite a bit of loud crying when she awoke as usual at 11pm. We weren’t going to fight the co-sleeping battle at the same time (not to mention that the co-sleeping isn’t an issue exactly…the NOT sleeping is our issue. The constant nursing has recently been a bit of a problem as well.). Gabe would bring Maddie to the bed as usual, but I was unavailable. Maddie was not thrilled about this, and she cried and cried for Mommy. It was difficult for all of us since I was not far away in the other room. Gabe was finally able to get her back to sleep, and she woke several times throughout the night looking for me and crying about it. I joined the family in the bed at around 6am, which is a suitable time for nursing. Maddie nursed quite a bit at this point.
The next night, I was on the couch again and Maddie cried a little less when Daddy brought her to bed. I had my first night terror in a LONG time and was convinced that the couch was an unsafe place to continue my night (I couldn’t convince myself that the big spider that I saw wasn’t in my imagination, though I’m almost sure that it was). I went to the bed, and a little while later I had another night terror. This time I was pretty sure that the same (or similar) spider crawled over Maddie onto Gabe. I have no idea how I was able to convince myself that it was a night terror and my imagination and NOT REAL. But I did, despite the fact that I thought it entirely possible that the spider had gotten trapped in my hair and followed me to the bed. I tried to push that thought away in my head and went back to sleep.
Maddie woke up several times, and it was rough to deny her requests to nurse. She cried a lot. I tried to comfort her in other ways. I told her that we would nurse when the sun comes up. I held her off until the light came through the windows. Things went a lot smoother when I was on the couch. She was upset the previous night, but not as upset as she was when I was there and I denied her requests to nurse! Oh, and on top of the two night terrors, I dreamed that the whole family was in a plane crash (fortunately, we somehow survived as we crashed on water and we were trying to figure out how to get off of the plane and into the rafts). Can you say stressful!?
Maddie nursed a lot at 6am, and she also nursed more than usual during the day on both Saturday and Sunday (we started on Friday night).
The third night, Gabe and I went to a movie while Aunt Kristin babysat. We were shocked when we came home and found Kristin in the living room without Maddie! When Kristin took her to her room, Maddie requested to be put in the crib. Kristin patted Maddie for a few minutes, and she went to sleep. We were even more shocked when she didn’t wake for almost 6 hours!!! She had not done that in ages. I slept on the couch, and Maddie didn’t even cry when Gabe took her to the bed. We were starting to see definite progress, but we weren’t ready to get our hopes up just yet. Once again, I joined the bed at 6am and Maddie nursed a lot.
We encountered some setbacks over the next few nights as our efforts were poorly timed. She FINALLY cut her 3rd tooth and seems like she may be getting the 4th at any moment. A few nights were rough due to the teething, presumably.
After those few awful days, we got into a routine. Maddie was fairly easily soothed by Daddy when waking up and coming to the bed. At first, she woke up in the crib and was ready for our bed around the same time as usual, shortly before midnight. She threw in a few 5 and 6 hour stretches for good measure and even a few 7 hour stretches. Things have certainly been improving. About two weeks into the night weaning, she slept a miraculous 10 hours straight! She has not repeated this feat, but we finally have hope.
Aside from last week’s midweek fever and ear infection (awful, awful nights), her worst nights have involved a 5 hour stretch of sleep. This may not sound like much to many of you, but for Maddie this is huge. She’s added more 7 hour stretches to her record. Sometimes, we have to go upstairs and pat her once or twice to get her back to sleep, but this was something that wasn’t even possible two months ago. Usually if she woke up, she would not accept any answer except “take me to your bed.” Attempting to pat her back to sleep and get her back into the crib resulted in a Maddie who wanted to stay awake for two hours. It typically wasn’t worth the risk.
She has been difficult to get to sleep initially on many nights. For example, as I am writing this Gabe is upstairs putting Maddie to bed, and she is protesting (I’ll likely schedule this to post on a different day as I usually do!). She’s very tired and needs her sleep, but she fights it very hard!
She doesn’t ask to nurse when she gets into the bed, and I’m able to sleep in my bed all night (hooray!). She sometimes wants to be very, very close to me (even laying on my chest like she did when she was a newborn), especially when she’s sick. Other times, she doesn’t even seem to know that I’m there! I’m not complaining one bit about the co-sleeping. I know I’ll miss it when she sleeps the entire night in her crib, but I’m not going to complain either. For now, I’m happy to get some extra sleep and my morning snuggles. It’s a very sweet compromise.
It’s already time again for The Sunday Somethings! Let us know if you want to join us, and we’ll to link to you. Be sure to check out Audrey’s blog for her installment this week.
Something that made me smile this week: Gabe and I both have our own sink in our master bathroom, each with our own identical, decorative soap pump. When one of us runs out of soap, we play a little game where we swap our soap pump with the other’s presumably non-empty soap pump. Throughout the next few days, we will find that the other has switched the pumps again. This amuses me. I think that we determined Gabe started it this time. He said to me earlier this week after several such exchanges, “so, I see we’re playing the soap game again.” Funny.
Something I’m thinking: I’m thinking that I really need to finish Maddie’s thank you notes from her birthday party. I’ve been meaning to do them for a while, and I’ve decided that I better get them finished by the end of today. Maybe I should add it to my goals list, ha!
Something I am hoping: I am hoping that our trip to Bermuda in May is a success! I can’t believe that we’re actually booked on a cruise with just the 3 of us. It’s exciting, but it’s a little bit scary to think about how Miss Maddie will handle the travel. I’m thinking positively and hoping that we’re going to make some wonderful memories. I know Maddie won’t remember it, but I will…and we’ll always have photos.
Something happening around the house: Well, on Wednesday night, we thought that we had our first toy-in-the-toilet incident. We had some major issues with the toilet overflowing and the plunger not helping. Something very solid and small was stuck down there, and we never did discover what it was. We thought that a Little People figure could be to blame, but a rudimentary Little People census reveals that all are present in our town. We think.
Something I’m reading: I’m still reading The Book Thief for April for my regular book club.
Something tasty I ate this week: Yesterday, at a birthday party for one-year-old twins, I ate some jicama. I don’t recall whether I’ve ever tasted jicama, but it was tasty!
Something Maddie did this week: Maddie and I visited her toddler class together for the first time this week. I was excited to meet her teachers and see the toddler room. She has been visiting their classroom for a while, and she even participated in music class with them this week.
Something I struggled with this week: I’m still struggling with the same thing that I mentioned last week. Maddie is weaning from her lunchtime nursings, and I was so sad on the two days this week that I did not visit her at all. I still plan to visit her frequently, even when she isn’t nursing. I have to admit that it will be nice to have some extra flexibility, too.
Something I’m doing towards my goals: I’m actually creating my life goals list. More information on them coming soon! I had a tough time getting started, but once I got going, I kept thinking of more and more to add to my list. I’m hoping to finish up the goals database later today and get them published to the website.
Something I’m looking forward to next week: Regular book club on Wednesday night and our conference with Maddie’s new toddler teacher on Thursday morning!
Something I captured: This was taken just yesterday, after we returned from the twins’ birthday party. Hooray for Spring (well, sorta, it’s still a little cool…)!
Time for another monthly installment of letters to Maddie. Enjoy. (more…)
I think that I will continue with these letters each month until I don’t have enough to say in a month. Somehow, I think it’s going to be a long time before that happens. (more…)
For today…
Outside my window… the weather has been pretty clear, but a bit cooler than it was last week. I’m ready for Spring to come to stay.
I am thinking… that I should probably figure out the rest of the plans for Maddie’s birthday party (which is going to be the weekend after her birthday).
I am thankful for… baby Tylenol and baby Motrin. The last two weeks have been rough, but I can’t imagine how difficult that the days and especially nights would have been without meds for little Miss Maddie.
From the kitchen… Pork Loin tonight, probably. I always feel like we’re running out of options by Monday since we generally do our shopping mid-week for a week or so at a time.
I am wearing… my pajamas as I’m trying to write this before going to work this morning. Gabe and Maddie are still snoozing.
I am creating… Maddie’s photo-a-day photobook - still working on it. Obviously, I can’t finish it until after Friday. I can’t believe that her birthday is so soon!
I am going… to work after missing over a week due to Maddie’s flu. I’m hoping to make it through the day without Maddie getting sent home from daycare. Hopefully, she will have a good day (and I’ll be able to figure out what I was doing over a week ago).
I am reading… The Magician’s Assistant for the Mothers & More book club. I finished To Kill a Mockingbird last night for my regular book club. I hope to finish The Magician’s Assistant by March 10th.
I am hoping… that Maddie is over her illness and that Gabe and I don’t get the flu. We’ve both had colds, but I’m hoping that we’ve had the worst of it.
I am hearing… silence, mostly. Pretty much the only sounds I’m hearing are the clicking of my keys and the hum of the heat.
Around the house… it’s a disaster, as usual. At least I can blame Maddie these days, though most of the mess has nothing to do with her. The Little People and stacking cups strewn about the living room is mostly her. Mostly.
One of my favorite things… Our DVR. I guess we’d be very limited with the shows that we could watch if we didn’t have DVR (we’re finding that our TV viewing has become somewhat limited as it is…). I was very glad to have DVR in the newborn days, especially when I had to be awake for hours at a time in the middle of the night nursing Maddie.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Maddie’s 1st birthday is Friday. I can’t believe that I will be the mother of a one year old by the end of the week. Where does the time go?
Here is a picture thought I am sharing… My little toddler, taken yesterday afternoon.
To read more Daybook posts or learn how to participate, visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook.
It seems that I have written the longest letter to Maddie yet. I don’t expect that many of you are reading all of this! Oh well, at least I have posted some new photos! Hopefully, Maddie will enjoy reading the letters someday. (more…)
Madeline is 8 months old today, so it’s time for another letter to Maddie! I can’t believe how fast the time is passing. (more…)
Tonight, I was browsing through my notebook. The one that I used when Maddie was a newborn to keep track of her feedings, mostly. The one that I used to jot down fleeting thoughts and diaper information. I’m glad that I kept this notebook, and it really puts things in perspective, especially on a night like tonight! We had a rough time getting her to bed tonight, but nothing compares to the first few weeks. Everyone said it would be hard. Everyone said that we wouldn’t get any sleep. But nobody told us what life would be like with a colicky baby who refuses to sleep. Everyone mentioned the constant feedings, but it just didn’t register until it was time to do it. I think there’s no way to get it until you have the baby. And every baby is different, of course, so nobody can tell you what it is going to be like for you. I knew it was going to be hard, yet it was 100 times harder than anything I imagined. I had encountered sleep deprivation in the past, but I never experienced sleep deprivation for so many consecutive days. And pregnancy emotions are nothing compared to postpartum emotions, yikes! I had a few breakdowns in the early months.
To give you an idea of what I mean when I say that the baby demands constant feeding in the early days, I nursed Maddie a total of 19 times on February 25th - Maddie’s 4th full day. The total amount of time spent nursing was almost 7 hours. 7 hours! That time represents the amount of time that Maddie was actually latched on and does not take into account getting prepared or convincing her to latch or trying to get her awake enough to feed. It doesn’t take into account the diaper changes, which we had to do pretty much at every feeding and then some. Exhausting does not even begin to describe it.
So how did we survive? It had a little something to do with this little angel (this photo taken a few days after bringing her home - she’s so tiny!). Just one look at her, and suddenly it was all worth it.
Maddie turned 7 months yesterday. I wrote this letter late last night, but I wanted to take time to add the photos today. Enjoy this installment of the Letters to Maddie series. (more…)